Kenyan police thwart terror attack in border region

MANDERA - Kenyan security forces killed two al-Shabab terrorists in a foiled terror attack early Tuesday in Mandera County, northeast of the East African country.

The Counter Terrorism Policing said its elite Special Operations Group (SOG) launched a pre-dawn operation on al-Shabab militants who were planning to terrorize Kenyans using the Alungu-Elwak road in Mandera County.

"This successful operation highlights the continued commitment and vigilance of Kenya's security forces in the fight against terrorism," the Counter Terrorism Policing said in a statement.

It said the terrorists were also in the final stages of placing explosives on the main road, targeting civilian vehicles, and they were caught in the act of setting up the improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

It added that a fierce firefight ensued, during which two militants were neutralised, and others sustained serious injuries before fleeing into nearby thickets with the gallant officers in hot pursuit.

During the operation, the security forces recovered two AK-47 rifles, a rocket-propelled grenade warhead, and a fully assembled IED, averting a potential large-scale attack on civilian traffic, according to the police